UMB Bank n.a. Reduces Position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS)

UMB Bank n.a. cut its position in Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Free Report) by 4.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 179,565 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 7,736 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.'s holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $20,950,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. IAG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Morgan Stanley during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Curio Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Ancora Advisors LLC raised its stake in Morgan Stanley by 104.7% in the fourth quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 264 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Crowley Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Stock Performance

Shares of Morgan Stanley stock traded up $0.13 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $131.95. 4,838,549 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,689,537. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.14. The business has a 50-day moving average of $118.66 and a 200-day moving average of $125.18. Morgan Stanley has a 1 year low of $90.94 and a 1 year high of $142.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $211.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.29.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, April 11th. The financial services provider reported $2.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.39. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 12.48% and a return on equity of 14.39%. The company had revenue of $17.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.02 EPS. The business's revenue was up 17.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 8.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th were issued a $0.925 dividend. This represents a $3.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.80%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley's dividend payout ratio is presently 43.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 24th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Morgan Stanley from $135.00 to $125.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $130.00 to $120.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $132.46.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Morgan Stanley news, insider Eric F. Grossman sold 10,068 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.65, for a total value of $1,124,092.20. Following the sale, the insider now owns 199,274 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,248,942.10. This represents a 4.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Andrew M. Saperstein sold 40,000 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction on Friday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $4,800,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 335,765 shares of the company's stock, valued at $40,291,800. This trade represents a 10.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 50,868 shares of company stock worth $6,019,548. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates through Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments.